Holy Week

Palm Sunday through to Maudy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday

Palm Sunday naturally celebrates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem yet leads us into the week to follow with the reading of the passion. It always has these dual, seeming contrasting themes of joy and of apprehension for what's coming.

In the daily evening Holy Eucharists at 7:30 p.m. you can receive communion as part of beginning your Holy Week observances. There will also be the Wednesday 10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, though the Thursday Eucharist will be for the Blessing of Oil for the ministry of healing, and the renewal of ordination vows. All are welcome to this Eucharist. It is NOT just for clergy.

Maundy Thursday, the evening of the Last Supper, similarly has a movement from joy to solemnity as we mark Jesus' institution of the Eucharist and the giving of the "new commandment." The word "maundy" is an old English word from the Latin "mandatus," or command, recalling the Lord's giving the twelve the "new commandment." We come with thankfulness for these great gifts of God but as the service progresses, we begin to prepare for Christ's betrayal, the Altar now bare, leading, silently, into the Prayer Watch to "keep watch" with Jesus for a while.

Good Friday, that most powerful of days, so shocking from the human perspective, so victorious from the view of heaven, so disastrous to the purposes of Satan, celebrates the fullness of God's loving intention for His world. There is no Easter without Good Friday. We worship, with great solemnity, yet with deep joy in our hearts, and ponder Christ's majestic work of salvation and healing.